Bandar Seri Begawan - The 10th Comparative Literature Lecture Series was held yesterday at the Language and Literature Bureau building in Berakas to focus and recognise forms of literature of the East Asia Literature Council (Mastera) member countries of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia as well as Singapore as a spectator country, to observe how local literature compares with that of other countries in the region.
The project, which attracted around 150 participants comprising teachers, writers, literature bureau staff and Universiti Brunei Darussalam students, is a combined effort of Mastera Malaysia together with Asean countries in roping in Malay language literature experts for the lecture. The event has already been held in Indonesia and Malaysia, and the last one will be held in Mastera‘s observing member country, Singapore, on July 30.
The aim of organising such an event is to give guidance and exposure to literature researchers and analysts in the Asian region, to probe further comparative literature discipline, to upgrade the level of expertise in intellectual dialogue skills among literature experts, analysts and writers, and to publish lecture materials to be used by students and the literature community.
Yesterday‘s 10th Comparative Literature Lecture Series was led by Prof Dr Abdul Hadi WM from Indonesia, where his lecture was entitled "Malay Muslim Spiritual Literature, Jawa and Indonesia: The relation of text and context".
Malay literary experts invited to present the lecture series throughout the past 10 years include academics from University of Indonesia, University of the Philippines, Thaksin University from Thailand, University of Surabaya and Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
Topics covered throughout the 10 years of the Comparative Literature Lecture Series include "Relations between Malay and Thai literature", "Malaysian literature and in relation with the Malay Archipelago" and "Anatomy of Comparative Literature".
In an opening speech made by Dato Paduka Dr Hj Ismail Hj Duraman, the vice-chancellor of Universiti Brunei Darussalam, he highlighted that the lecture is relevant to UBD students, as the field of study has been predicted to experience an encouraging development in terms of research on both culture and local literature.
The Language and Literature Bureau promotes and enriches the usage of the Malay language and literature through creative writings and dialogues between regional and international communities.
Source: www.bruneitimes.com (30 Juli 2007)